What is Ebola and why is stopping this outbreak so difficult?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. What is Ebola and why is stopping this outbreak so difficult? 21 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJames Gallagher ,Health and science correspondent ,Emery Makumeno , Africa, KinshasaandHafsa KhalilGetty ImagesAn Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, by the World Health Organization (WHO). Dealing with this outbreak is difficult as it involves a rare strain for which there is no vaccine and the cases have been found in an area affected by conflict.

What is Ebola and what are the symptoms? Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus. Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.

The Details

It takes two to 21 days for symptoms to appear. They come on suddenly and start like the flu, with fever, headache and tiredness. As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhoea develop and it can lead to organ failure.

Some, but not all, patients develop internal and external bleeding. The virus spreads from one person to another by contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit. Why is this Ebola outbreak different and is there a vaccine?

This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which had not been seen for over a decade. Bundibugyo has only caused two previous outbreaks, when it killed about a third of those infected. This rarer species of Ebola is causing challenges.

What Experts Say

Initial blood tests for Ebola were negative as they test for more common species. There is no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo, but experimental ones are in development. It is possible that a vaccine for another species of Ebola (called Zaire) may offer some protection.

There are also no drugs developed that target Bundibugyo, making it harder to treat. An additional complication is that the outbreak is taking place in a conflict zone, with a quarter of million people displaced from their homes and people moving across porous borders into neighbouring countries. However, the WHO's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern does not mean we are in the early stages of a Covid-style pandemic.

The risk Ebola poses outside east Africa is minimal. How worrying is the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo? WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo an international emergencyHow did the outbreak start?

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.